Before they held their regular meeting Tuesday, the Fort Morgan City Council ventured to the Wastewater Treatment Plant and City Complex for more of showcase tours of city departments.

On each leg of the tour, the council saw various projects that are in progress and equipment the departments already have, as well as hearing about the equipment that they still need.

That is one of the reasons for doing the tours — to get a better idea of the budgetary needs and wants for city departments.

But the council members also get to meet the various city workers at each department and see the facilities.

Wastewater Treatment Plant

Water distribution operator Erik Sagel shows the Fort Morgan City Council the trailer that holds the equipment for installing InstaValves in Fort Morgan water lines. "We can install these without having to shut off the water main," Sagel said. (Jenni Grubbs / Fort Morgan Times)

The council started off at the Wastewater Treatment Plant, and plant Superintendent Mike Hecker introduced the staff and led the council around the facility.

They saw the various parts of the plant that take raw waste and slowly turn it into water clean enough to return to the South Platte River.

"We treat 1 million gallons a day," Hecker said. "There's two of everything out here. We switch them out."

Another part of the tour was seeing the lab, where water testing is done for the plant and 18 outside entities, Lab Technician Jason Riggs said.

"There's some really important tests we have to do before we discharge to the river," he said. "We clean that river."

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"We joke about it, but now that we have to track above and below us, we can actually prove it," Water Resources/Utilities Director Brent Nation added.

The council also saw the ultraviolet light system that cleans the water and is in the process of having half of it replaced.

"A lot of places use chlorine, but we use ultraviolet," Hecker said, explaining that the lights render any bacteria in the water sterile and harmless.

Fort Morgan Gas Department Superintendent Tony Behrends shows the Fort Morgan City Council the process gas meters go through before being put out in the field. The Gas Department was one of the city departments the council members toured Tuesday. (Jenni Grubbs / Fort Morgan Times)

The council also heard that the majority of the big-ticket items at the plant had already been or were about to be replaced or serviced, meaning Hecker was likely to have fewer big budget requests for 2015.

Water Distribution/Wastewater Collection

The council next travelled to the City Complex on East Railroad Avenue, where they started their tour in the Water Distribution/Wastewater Collection departments.

Superintendent Mitch Church introduced his staff and went over what all his departments do to ensure people get good results when they turn on their faucets and flush their toilets.

"The seven of us oversee both departments," Church said. "We get it from (Water Treatment Plant Superintendent John) Turner and give it to Hecker."

Wastewater Treatment Plant Superintendent Mike Hecker shows an ultraviolet light tube to the Fort Morgan City Council during the tour of the plant Tuesday. The ultraviolet lights are used in the cleaning process to render bacteria in the water harmless before being sent out to the river, Hecker explained. (Jenni Grubbs / Fort Morgan Times)

Church told the council that upcoming projects include the water main line replacement on more blocks of Ensign Street, as well as various other operations and maintenance projects for both of his departments.

Church said that the manhole rehabilitation program that the council funded is going well and saving the city money, as is the jetting and camera-ing of sewer lines.

"These departments have their hands full with most of the infrastructure being 100 years old — and it's all underground," Nation said.

The council also saw most of the large equipment Church's departments use, including the InstaValve cart that allows workers to replace water valves without shutting off main lines so only a few homes have their water shut off, instead of whole blocks, as well as the vacuum truck that jets the sewer lines and the truck with the camera equipment.

Fort Morgan City Council members check out the sludge tanks at the Fort Morgan Wastewater Treatment Plant during their tour of the plant Tuesday. The council heard about coming budget requests, as well as the projects and expenses that already are getting funded. (Jenni Grubbs / Fort Morgan Times)

Gas Department

In the Gas Department, the council met Superintendent Tony Behrends' crew and saw some of the equipment they use to maintain and replace gas meters.

"Our gas system consists of 99 miles of gas line," he told the council. "There are almost 4,700 meters within the system. We pretty much take care of the system from the city gate to the furnace."

Behrends explained that the city was having to replace more meters than before due to changes in availability of meter types and a shift toward plastic.

He also showed the council the equipment his crews use to check out suspected gas leaks.

"If there's a leak, we can pinpoint it and pull it up within an hour or two," he said.

The Fort Morgan City Council got to see a lot of the equipment used by the city Water Distribution/Wastewater Collection departments and meet various workers during the tour Tuesday at the City Complex. Pictured, from left, are: wastewater collection lead operator Dan Meeks, Water Distribution/Wastewater Collection Superintendent Mitch Church, Mayor Terry McAlister and water distribution operator Erik Sagel. (Jenni Grubbs / Fort Morgan Times)

He also said that his department has to do tests at five spots to make sure the right amount of the chemical that creates the rotten eggs smell has been added.

"If it's too high, we're going to be running around all over testing gas leaks," he said.

The council also saw the Gas Department's fleet of vehicles used to transport workers and equipment to do inspections, installations and various other gas line work.

Reactions

The council last did these tours three years ago, and Mayor Terry McAlister said he wanted the newer council members to have a chance to go on them, too.

"It's neat that the workers are staying late to meet the council," he said. "I think the new members need to hear that, the (departments') needs. There are always changes in what the needs are."

For new Councilmen Kevin Lindell and Damon Mussman, this was the first time they had seen these city departments.

"It's kind of neat to go to other facilities and see what they do and meet the people," Mussman said.

"It's definitely helpful," Lindell said. "As I learn the workings of the city, I continue to be impressed by the quality of the equipment and the people. It's really opened my eyes as far as how the city's running."

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